When Two Demons Meet
by Daisetsu Adachi
Summary: What happens when The Covenant hire Ryoko to steal Cortana and kill Master Chief? Read on to find out! Read and review to let me know how I'm doing.
1. Prologue

_Hey there! This is one of my first crossovers, so go easy on me.^^; I thought about what would happen if Chief meet Ryoko by some strange coincidence, and this came to mind._

* * *

"So let me get this straight. You want me to find this guy – Master Chief, was it? – Steal his AI, and kill him in the prossess. In return, I get free reign of the largest interplanetary armada in the galaxy. Am I right?"

"Exactly," said the High Prophet of Truth to Ryoko.

"Sounds like a plan. Where can I find this, Master Chief?"

"Down there," the High Prophet said, pointing out the window to a ring-like world below. There was vegetation, oceans, and islands in the seas all over it. To Ryoko, this seemed like a seemed like a simple mission, so why did the Covenant choose the most fearsome space pirate in the universe to take it on? It didn't seem reasonable to hire someone of her stature to steal a simple AI. But her policy was to do the job, no questions asked. If they want an AI, they get an AI. The guy she was supposed to kill? That was just a bonus.

"It's a deal," she said, as she phased out of the ship, and into space. Turning quickly, she flew towards the ring world. This is going to be fun, she thought to herself.

* * *

_Yeah, I know it's short. But bear with me! It's still in the works!  
See that button that says review this story? Click it! That's and order, Marine!!!_


	2. Chapter 1: The Meeting

_After several months of semi-fame, I realize that Captain Keyes name was spelled wrong! Oops!  
__Anyway, here is the first chapter of _Two Demons_. Enjoy!_

* * *

On Halo, the Master Chief and Cortana were trying to find the Silent Cartographer. The Covenant had just shut the door leading down to the Cartographer. Cortana was radioing Captain Keys for backup.

"Cortana to Keyes," she said over the radio.

"Go ahead Cortana. Have you found the control center?" responded Keyes.

"Negative, Captain. The Covenant have impeded our progress. We can't proceed unless we can disable this installation's security system." There was silence over the radio for a few moments.

"Understood, we are still in route to the objective. I may be out of contact when we get there. Here are your orders. I want you to use any means necessary to force your way into the facility, and find Halo's control center. We have to get to the center, before the Covenant, and failure, people, is not an option."

Echo-419, the drop ship that brought Chief to the island, came through on the radio. "Echo 4-19 to ground teams, I'll stay on station and keep an eye out for Covenant bogies."

One of the team leaders came through on the radio. "Second Squad, ready to roll soon as everybody's top-side!

Another team leader responded, "O-C looks secure, Sir. Nothing moving."

Keys ended his transmission with, "Good luck, people. Keyes, out."

Cortana said, "We need to find the security override to get this door open. Let's head back to the surface and regroup."

Chief started up the tunnel that lead to the platform that the Covenant had built. The warthog that he had taken to that location, with the marines in the turret seat and passenger seat, were waiting for him to return from below ground. "I assume you heard the transmission Keys gave?" he asked the marines.

"Yeah, we heard it," the guy in the passenger's seat said, "But we don't like it. So now what?"

"We do what Keys said. We find the control center," responded Chief.

"OK, where do we start?"

"I'll let you know when we get there." Chief hopped in the driver's seat, turned the warthog around, and started to head back down the hill that he had taken to get up to the platform. As he was headed down, he saw the bodies of the Covenant Grunts, Jackals, and Elites he and the marines had killed on their way up the hill. Good times, he thought.

All of a sudden, Cortana started yelling, "Chief! Stop the car!"

Chief hit the brakes, and jumped out. "What is it?" he asked Cortana.

"I'm getting a massive energy reading heading right for us! We need to get to cover!"

"Right. Bail out!" Chief yelled at the marines. "Head for the trees! We need to get to cover!" The marines knew better than to ask or argue. Quickly, the group headed into the nearby trees, jumped behind some logs, and waited with abated breath.

Suddenly, the warthog was rained on by hundreds of bursts of energy. The vehicle exploded, and red hot shrapnel was scattered everywhere, sometimes landing within feet of the team's hiding spot.

"What was that?" asked one of the Marines.

"Quiet!" whispered the other.

Chief was watching the burning mass of twisted metal that used to be his warthog, when he thought he saw a shadow in the flames. "Cortana, scan the wreckage for life."

"Why, Chief? On second thought, don't answer that. Scanning for – wait. There's something in there!"

Suddenly, the fire around the remains of the warthog parted, and a woman with long, sea green hair and square ears floated through the flames. She was wearing a dress that looked Japanese in origin, and she looked like she was looking for something. Or someone.

"Hmm. I thought I saw some guys in this car before I fired. Oh well. So much for that," she said in a confused tone.

"Is that a chick?" asked one of the marines.

"Shut up!" whispered the other.

"You should listen to him," the woman said, as though she could hear them. "If you do, I won't find your hiding spot." She turned towards the group and held out her hand. Her palm started to glow orange. "Oops! Too late," she said with a smile.

" Run!" shouted Chief, just as an orange burst of energy shot from her hand, blowing up the logs, and setting the trees around them on fire. One of the Marines didn't react fast enough, and was caught in the blast. His lifeless body was flung at the cliff wall behind them. Chief and the Marine were unsure if they had been spotted, but another explosion behind them answered the question. This woman was taunting them, because she knew which way they were going to go, but refused to actually hit them.

"I can keep this up all day!" she yelled.

"So can I, lady!" responded Chief. Suddenly, the volleys stopped. The woman she was just floating there, smirking.

"Hmm. Is that so?" she said. Then she vanished into thin air, only to reappear in front of Chief. The Marine behind him jumped, and quickly regained his posture, aiming his rifle at her. "I think I'm starting to like you. Just tell me one thing. Are you the Master Chief the Covenant has been talking about?" she said, leaning in to get a good look at the Chief, even though his helmet was reflective.

"I am."

"Hmm. Just the man I was looking for. What luck! Name's Ryoko. Nice to meet you!" she said happily.

"Ryoko?" asked the Marine, still shaken from the attack. "I've heard that name before. The veterans would talk about a space pirate who plundered and pillaged planet after planet for hundreds of years. You can't be the same Ryoko. You're too…uhh…"

"Young?" Ryoko finished. "Of course I'm young!" she said with a spin. "A girl has to keep up appearances!"

"If you're that Ryoko," started Chief, "how do you know me, and what are you up to?"

"Hmm, straight to the point," she said. "I like that in a man. Alright, I'll tell you. The Covenant hired me to steal your AI from you, and maybe deliver your corpse as well."

At this remark, Chief took a step back. He knew he had to keep Cortana safe from the Covenant, but he wasn't sure he was able to defeat Ryoko.

"And before you think of running away," Ryoko said with a grin, "Know this. I've never accepted a job I can't fulfill," she finished with a grin, revealing pointed canines. One thing was sure, this girl meant business.

* * *

_What will happen next? Will Ryoko get Cortana? Will Chief be able to defeat Ryoko? Will the Marine soil his pants? Tune in to the next chapter to find out! But before you do, send me a review to let me know how I'm doing, or if I messed anything up. Or both!_


	3. Chapter 2: A Different Point of View

_Hey there! Chapter 2 is finally here! This took so long because I had to find some information about the Covenant that I didn't know, but in the end I didn't use it. ^^; I also found out that I had mispelled Captain Keyes name, so my bad! Anyway, enjoy the second chapter of_ Two Demons_._

* * *

Ryoko had just phased through the window of the Covenant ship, and was on her way to the ring world below her. She thought that the Covenant had called it Halo. Too bad I couldn't bring Ryo-oh-ki, she thought. It would have loved this place. Washu was giving Ryo-oh-ki a full examination and repair session, so Ryoko had to do this one on her own.

Upon entry of Halo's atmosphere, she noticed a strange smell in the air. It was a high-octane variant of fossil fuels. Such primitive technology, thought Ryoko. At least they left me a trail to follow.

Suddenly, she heard screaming and gunfire over by an outcropping near the beach. Looking over in that direction, she saw a jeep with a machine gun attachment on the back jump a hill and smash into a purple communications pod. Out jumped a man in dark green armor, guns blazing. The jeep still had two guys in it. One was in the passenger's seat, the other in the turret. The guy in the turret was firing away at the Grunts and Jackals, while the armored guy took on the Elites. He rushed into the complex on top of the cliff, and more gunfire, explosions, and screaming was heard. It was gruesome, yet majestic at the same time.

"Well, that was easy," Ryoko said to herself. Flying down, she stopped short of the jeep, with the two guys in it. Don't want to alert those guys, or the big guy might open fire, she thought. She phased to the inside of the building, making sure she was out of the two guys' sight. Walking down the hall, she saw the bodies of Elites and grunts, apparently taken out by the green guy. She noticed that there was more blood than bullet holes. This guy was efficient, she thought. Maybe that was why the Covenant fear him so much.

Ryoko heard footsteps ahead. She decided to follow them, but from inside the wall. Turning intangible, she phased into the wall, and started floating down the tunnel. Hearing more screams and explosions, she looked around the corner to see the guy in green surrounded by the corpses of Grunts and an Elite. The door at the end of the tunnel closed just as he reached it.

"Interesting," said a woman's voice. "I underestimated the Covenant's understanding of Halo's subsystems. They've locked the door, and we don't have enough fire power to get through them."

Ryoko knew she was sensitive to electronic transmissions, but she didn't know she could here the AI from inside the guy's suit.

"Cortana to Keyes," the voice said. Ryoko guessed the AI's name was Cortana. Ryoko heard the whole transmission between the AI and a man named Captain Keyes. After it was over, Ryoko heard Cortana say, "We need to find the security override to get this door open. Let's head back to the surface and regroup." Ryoko heard footsteps coming in her direction, so she phased into the wall to remain hidden. After they had passed, Ryoko phased out of the wall, and flew back to the surface, making sure to stay hidden. She flew up so she could get a better view of the jeep as it drove off in the direction it came.

"I think I found my man," she said to herself. Flying to the bottom of the hill before the jeep did, she set herself up about a hundred feet in the air. "This looks like a good spot for a surprise attack." Building up energy, she prepared to launch a volley of shots at the jeep as soon as it showed up.

Ryoko didn't have to wait long. The jeep was coming down the hill at top speed. This is going to be close, she thought. Releasing her energy, she launched hundreds of shots. Suddenly, the jeep stopped, and the guys jumped out. She could see where they were going, but she didn't care. If they thought she didn't know where they were, she would have the advantage. She heard the explosion of the jeep, and looked down at the remains. "Just what I was waiting for."

Flying down, she landed just beside the wreckage, and thought now would be a good time to show off a little. Dispersing the flames so she could hover through, she started looking through the jeep parts as though she wasn't pleased. "Hmm. I thought I saw some guys in this car before I fired. Oh well. So much for that," she said in a confused tone. That ought to throw them off, she thought.

"Is that a chick?" she heard one of the guys ask. "Shut up!" the other one whispered.

"You should listen to him," she said, almost as if she was part of the conversation. "If you do, I won't find your hiding place." She held out her hand towards the group and built up energy again. "Oops! Too late!" she said with a smile.

* * *

_So, what do you think? When I ask that, I expect an answer. So to enforce it, I won't publish the next chapter until I get 3 reviews. I'm not kidding. Comment!!!_


	4. Chapter 3: Conflict

_Well fans, you asked for it, and here it is! The next chapter of Two Demons is online! Well? What are you waiting for? Read it!_

* * *

"Chief, I don't like this," said Cortana. She had good reason. The infamous space pirate Ryoko had just appeared out of nowhere, attacked the Chief and killed a marine in the process, and had just said that the Covenant had hired her to steal Cortana and kill Master Chief. Oh yeah, Cortana had good reason to be scared.

"You shouldn't like it, missy," said Ryoko, almost as if she could hear Cortana.

But that's impossible, thought Cortana. How can she hear me, if I'm in Chief's AI slot?

"You give off a kind of electronic interference, and I can listen to that sort of gibberish without getting a headache," said Ryoko, again as if she could hear Cortana's thoughts.

"Well, if you can hear me, you'll know that I'm not coming with you, no matter what you do."

"Heh. Don't pull the tough girl act. You know you can't win."

"Could somebody explain to me what is going on?" asked the Marine.

"No," replied Ryoko. "Shut up and sit back."

"Uhh…Ok then."

"So, Chief," started Ryoko, "Should I deliver just the AI, or will the Covenant get a trophy for their mantle piece?"

"I say you're full of it," replied Chief.

"Look who's talking, sweetie. I'll be able to beat you before you pull the trigger," she said as she floated away from the Chief.

"You're on," said Chief, just as he reached for his pistol. Being genetically enhanced had its advantages, as he could see the shot he was going to make before he made it. Getting the firearm level, he fired off two rounds to the head, three to the torso. Just like in Basic. He saw Ryoko flinch, and then fall to the sand, face first with her right arm under her body. Keeping his pistol on her, he slowly walked to her body. He gently kicked her over, expecting to see a dead woman with bullets in her head and chest. Instead, he saw that Ryoko had not been injured of any of the shots he fired. Her right hand fell open, and Chief saw all five rounds he had fired in her hand, undamaged.

Suddenly, Ryoko opened her eyes, smirked, and said, "Gotcha." She threw the bullets at him just as fast, if not faster than if they were fired from a gun. He threw his arms in front of him to stop the bullets at the same time she flung her leg at his in an attempt to trip him, and send him sprawling on his back. He saw the move before she hit his leg, and jumped out of the way, doing a back flip.

"Not bad," said Ryoko as she got back to her feet. She opened her mouth to say something, but the Marine started to fire at her with his rifle. "Hey!" Flying upward, she fired a blast of energy at the guy's feet. He didn't react until after the blast, but by then, he had flown ten feet and had fallen unconscious. "Don't interrupt a woman when she is talking!"

Wait a minute, thought Chief. I fired at her, yet she didn't get hit. The Marine fired at her, and she still didn't get hit. She's not even hurt! What is she?

"Sorry 'bout that, but he was getting on my nerves," said Ryoko, pushing her hair out of her face as she looked at Chief. "Shall we continue?"

I better try something else, Chief thought. Rushing to his left, he grabbed a plasma pistol from a dead Jackal. Steadying his aim, he fired off several shots at Ryoko.

"Is that the best you can do?" she asked as she held up her hand. The shots were nearing her. All of a sudden, the shots just vanished in a puff of plasma a few feet in front of her. "I'm falling asleep here!" she taunted.

No good, thought Chief. Let's try a charged shot. Holding the trigger down, he fired a fully charged ball of plasma ten times as powerful as a single one. It may have flown slower than a single shot, but it detonated on impact. There was no way she could stop this.

"Ooh! Pretty!" said Ryoko. She raised her right hand to her left shoulder, and swung at the ball as it neared her. The ball changed direction just as she hit it, without exploding, and flew off out of site. "This is too easy."

"Chief!" said Cortana. She had stayed quiet throughout the fight so Ryoko couldn't hear her. "I've got an idea."

"We're listening," said Ryoko in a sing-song voice.

"Try something with a little more mass," said Cortana.

"Got it," said Chief.

"Ooohh! I'm so scared!" taunted Ryoko.

Chief knew what Cortana was talking about. Turning on his heel, he ran for the wreckage of the warthog. That has more mass, he thought.

"What are you thinking now?" asked Ryoko sarcastically.

Grabbing the tail end of the warthog, he lifted the warthog off the ground a few inches, and started swinging it around in a circle to get some momentum.

"Oh look! The Chief is a dancer!" yelled Ryoko, who started laughing at her own joke. At that moment, the Chief let go of the warthog, and it flew in an arc at Ryoko. She stopped laughing, frowned, and said, "This could hurt."

Chief watched the warthog fly at Ryoko, until it would have hit her. To this day, Chief cannot explain what he saw, but if he could, he would say that he saw Ryoko seem to slide through the warthog like a fish through water.

The warthog landed on the beach and rolled a little ways. Ryoko turned to look at the warthog. "Did you really think that was going to work?" She turned back to face Chief. She crossed her arms in front of her and smiled. "Just admit you're way out of your league. Give up the AI, and you can walk away with your body still intact."

Chief didn't know what to do. He couldn't give up Cortana, but he couldn't find a way to defeat this woman. He fired his weapon at her, but that didn't work. He tried firing a plasma weapon at her, and that didn't work. He threw the warthog at her! Nothing! He had no idea what to do.

"Chief?" asked Cortana. She had the same thought he did. We can't defeat her.

"Fine," said Chief. "I'll give you Cortana."

"Hmm. I thought so," said Ryoko. Flying down, she landed a few feet in front of Chief and started walking towards him. When she was about a foot from him, she held out her hand.

"Chief, what are you doing?" asked Cortana. Chief was reaching for his AI slot.

"What I have to."

"Chief! Don't do this!" she started shouting. "Chief! Please! Ch—"

She was cut off as the Chief hit the button, and pulled the cartridge out of his helmet. Holding it in his hand, he looked at it one last time as he dropped it in Ryoko's outstretched hand.

"Thank you for your service," she said as she looked the cartridge over. "Huh. Strange how much trouble we had to go through to get this thing." Suddenly, her eyes widened quickly, and she said "Look at all the pretty stars," just as she started falling towards the Chief. He caught her before she fell.

"Good work, Marine," said Chief to the Marine standing behind Ryoko's body. The butt of his gun was still poised in midair where he hit Ryoko's neck. "How are you feeling?"

"A little crispier than I like to be," he said, "but I'll be alright."

"Get the other Marine. We need some help."

"Aye, sir!" He ran off as fast as he could, which was relatively fast for someone who had just been thrown against a rock wall. Turning Ryoko over, and took the cartridge that contained Cortana. Sliding the cartridge back into his AI slot, he heard a loud, "—ief!"

"Cortana!" he said, "You're fine!"

"I am? What? Chief, what's going on?"

"I can explain, but right now, we need some medical supplies. Contact Echo-419."

"Uhh…right on it." Swapping to Chief's radio system, she called up Captain "Foehammer." "Echo-419, this is Cortana. Come in."

"Echo-419 here," responded the captain. "What's wrong Cortana?"

"Chief says we need medical supplies. Can you come in for a landing?"

"Sure thing, Cortana. I'll meet you with the other Marines."

"Roger that. Cortana out." Turning off the radio, she turned her attention to the Chief. "Now can you please tell me what's going on?"

"The Marine played dead, and then knocked her unconscious. I saw him, and played along," said Chief. "I thought you knew."

"Well I didn't! Could you at least let me know when you do something like that?"

"Sorry." He looked at Ryoko in his arms, and he saw a gold chain around her neck. Reaching out, he pulled on the chain, and a gold locket followed. He took the locket in his hands, and pressed the button to open the locket. Inside was a picture of Ryoko, three other women, a little girl, a rabbit-like cat, and a young man.

"What are you thinking, Chief?" asked Cortana.

"I think, there's more to this demon than meets the eye."

* * *

_Well? What do you think? Tell me in a comment! I won't upload the next chapter until I get 8 or more! I'm serious!_


	5. Chapter 4: Negotiation

_Hey everyone! I know how much you've wanted me to upload this chapter, so here it is! _Two Demons _Chapter 4._

* * *

Slowly opening her eyes, Ryoko rubbed the back of her neck. Man, she thought, what hit me? Looking around, she saw that she was under an overhang near a small beach. She saw that she was on a blanket with a pillow under her head, a jeep next to her, and some crates scattered here and there. A large airship was sitting near the water's edge, and there were some troops walking around, not paying any attention to her.

"Good. You're awake," said a voice next to her. Turning, she saw the Chief sitting on a crate of medical supplies. He had taken apart a pistol, and was cleaning the barrel with an old rag. The other parts were on a piece of cloth at his feet. "I was wondering if the Marine had hit you too hard. But if the stories are accurate, I didn't have to worry."

"Where am I," started Ryoko, "and how did I get here?"

"To the first question," said Chief as he started putting the pistol back together, "You are at a small temporary base near a cliff side. To the second, I carried you." At this last comment, he pulled the slide on the completed pistol, resulting in a satisfying "click" as it slid back into place. Setting it aside, he picked up an assault rifle, and started disassembling it.

Ryoko sat up a little more, and asked, "Why did you bring me here? I just tried to kill you."

"True," said the Chief, "but you didn't. That tells me something."

"What?"

"You care." He reached behind his back and pulled out the gold locket.

"Hey! Give that back!" Ryoko yelled as she grabbed the locket from Chief.

"See what I mean?" Chief said.

A radio message interrupted their conversion, and Captain Keyes started calling Cortana.

"This is Cortana," she responded. "Go ahead sir."

"I understand that you had a run in with the space pirate Ryoko. Did she cause any trouble?"

"Not yet, sir. We have her under surveillance and nothing so far."

"Good. Make sure she stays that way. We've changed course and will meet you at your current position. Wait for me to arrive, but don't let your guard down. We don't know what the Covenant are capable of until we find the map room."

"Understood, we will remain here until your arrival," replied Cortana.

"Good. Keyes out."

The transmission was cut, and as she watched the Chief walk away, Ryoko pulled her knees in next to her and opened the locket. Seeing the familiar faces of Sasami, Washu, Ayeka, Mihoshi, Ryo-oh-ki, and Tenchi brought back memories of a time when the only worry was when supper would be ready. Reaching out, she put her finger on the picture, and said softly, "Tenchi." Closing the locket, she held it close to her heart, missing the man in the photo.

"Who's Tenchi?" asked the Chief. She jumped a little as she heard the Chief's voice. Ryoko looked at the Chief, who had moved to stand in front of her.

Trying to avoid his gaze, even though it was through a visor, she pulled her knees in under her chin, and said, "Nobody. Just someone I knew from a long time ago." She could tell the Chief didn't believe her, but that didn't matter.

"Chief," said Cortana, "I know what you're thinking, and I don't agree."

"Do you have a better idea?" responded the Chief.

"We wait for Captain Keyes to arrive! It's the safest thing to do in this situation. Besides, we don't know what to expect!"

"Has that stopped us before?"

"Well…no, but—"

"Then we have no choice. We can't wait for Keyes to arrive because by then it might be too late. We've got to move."

"Um…" interjected Ryoko, "Care to fill me in loop?"

"Simply put, we use you to get to the Cartographer," said the Chief bluntly.

"And you know we can't do that!" yelled Cortana. One thing Ryoko could tell, Cortana didn't like to break away from the flow of things.

"And like I said, we have no choice!" responded the Chief. Looking down at Ryoko he said, "Please help us."

"Why should I?" asked Ryoko, standing up. "What have you got that the Covenant doesn't? They offered me free reign of their armada, which happens to be the largest in the galaxy. What do you have that can top that?" she said with a glare.

"We can work something out later, but right now we need your help," replied Chief.

Ryoko turned her head and crossed her arm in front of her to think. It sounds like they know something I don't, she thought. I don't want to go into something without all the facts. This is a tough decision. After a few moments of thought, she turned back to Chief and said, "I want your word that I can go free after I help you. If you can assure me that, you have a deal."

"Deal," said Chief.

"No deal!" shouted Cortana. "We don't have that authority, and if we did, you wouldn't be let free!"

"Then you'll have to solve your own problems," said Ryoko sitting down and crossing her arms again.

The Chief knelt by her and said, "I know that Cortana is against it, but I'm willing to accept your terms. After you help us, you are free to do what you please, even if it means fulfilling your previous contract with the Covenant."

Ryoko looked Chief's visor, imagining the pleading eyes behind the helmet.

"Ok," she at said after some time. Standing up, she continued, "I'll help you, but I'm going to keep you to your word that you will release me after I get you there."

"Agreed," responded Chief, standing up as well. "You will be released from my custody as soon as we get to the Cartographer."

"Chief," said Cortana, a little plead in her voice, "You know what I think about this."

"Yes."

"Then I guess there's no changing your mind."

"Nope."

"Well then," Ryoko said, starting to walk to a jeep, a little swing in her step, "Let's get going!"

* * *

_Well then! Now you know what the next chapter will be about. One more thing before I go, I have decided to add the next chapter after 2 more reviews. I figure I'm a bit hard on you guys, concidering my last update was at the beginning of the year! Two reviews, one chapter. Simple as that._


	6. Chapter 5: Death Island

_Welcome one and all to the next chapter of Two Demons! I'm sorry I haven't been able to submit this when I said I would, but it's out now, and I promise to work on this next time. Now enough of my babbling, and let's get to the story!_

* * *

Cortana couldn't believe what was happening. Master Chief had just made a deal with the infamous space pirate Ryoko to release her from UNSC custody after her assistance upon arriving at the Silent Cartographer. It went against all code of conduct, protocol, and regulations of the UNSC! It had never been done before! She just hoped Master Chief knew what he was doing.

* * *

The ride over to the outcropping was quiet. Before they set out, Master Chief grabbed extra clips for his pistol and assault rifle, and let Keyes know what they were doing. He was against it, but he agreed they had little choice. Ryoko was content as she was. Another Marine, Corporal Anderson, joined them on their way, mounting up on the turret. Master Chief wanted to ask Ryoko who Tenchi was, but considering the circumstances, he thought it wouldn't have been the best idea.

Upon arrival at the outpost, the trio hopped out of the Warthog, and entered the building that lead to the Silent Cartographer. Chief was on alert, in case the Covenant had sent more troops, while Ryoko was just walking around like she was on a leisurely stroll through the park. Journeying down in the tunnels, they finally reached the chamber with the locked door. Chief noticed Ryoko looking at the bodies and blood.

When they got to the door, Ryoko took one look at it, and said, "I can't help you."

"What!" yelled Anderson. "You attacked our troops, destroyed our vehicles, and took us on a trip to the center of the earth, just to say that you can't help us?"

"Marine!" said Cortana in a stern voice. "Now isn't the time!"

For a computer program, she could be scary when she was pissed, thought Chief.

"Let me finish," said Ryoko. "This door has a mechanism built into it that prevents me from phasing through, and if I tried shooting it, the energy required would turn everyone here into fine ash."

"Well crap," said Anderson.

"Ahem!" interjected Ryoko. "I'm not finished yet. Judging by the markings on the surrounding wall and the door itself, we can override the lock by shutting down the security measurements in another building."

"We just need to find it," said Chief.

"I've got an idea where it is," said Ryoko. "I saw a building on the other side of the ridge when I came here. It was guarded, but nothing our boy can't handle," she said, looking at Chief with a grin.

"Can you take us there?" asked Chief.

"I'm not sure. I saw the installation from my fly in, but I didn't see a way up to it. It was on the edge of a cliff on the other side of the island."

"Better start there," said Chief, starting to head back up out of the installation, stepping around the body of an elite, the others following suite. After a few minutes, the trio reach the surface again, and got in the warthog.

Chief drove around the island, looking for this other installation. After a while, Cortana saw it. "Well there's the entrance to the security substation, but it looks like we'll have to find another way up."

"I told you so," retorted Ryoko. Although she didn't say anything, Chief could tell Cortana didn't like Ryoko one bit.

After driving around the island, the group found another warthog on its side. Dead Marines were around it, with blood everywhere. Jumping out, Chief went to inspect the bodies.

He didn't get far before he saw a plasma bolt fly over his head, hitting the rock in front of him. Turning, he saw two elites, four jackals, and a slew of grunts. Acting on instinct, he quickly dove behind a rock, drawing his assault rifle, and returning fire. The grunts scattered, running scared of the "demon." The elites were less intimidated, jumping over the log and rushing up to him, ready to send him to Kingdom Come, or whatever the heck the Covenant considered paradise was.

Anderson quickly turned the turret, taking out several grunts in a few seconds. He continued on firing, attacking the jackals next. This took a little longer, considering the shields, but not long. He turned on the elites, but he hadn't anticipated the Chief's combat skills, as Chief had taken out one of the elites in the same time Anderson had taken out the jackals. Chief was already taking care of the other elite with a few quick jabs and kicks, leaving the elite on the ground, bleeding profusely.

Ryoko just sat in the warthog the whole time, watching the brawl, enjoying the show. When all was said and done, something caught her attention. She heard a whimpering. Turning her head, she saw a grunt hiding behind a tree, shaking in his nonexistent boots. She looked at Chief. He had seen it too. She got out of the warthog, and walked over to it. Immediately, the grunt tried to hide behind the tree more, but to no avail.

"You can come out now," said Ryoko soothingly. "We're not going to hurt you."

The grunt peeked out from behind the tree. "Y-y-you're not?" it said, terror in it's voice.

"No, we promise," said Ryoko, but Chief saw the small grin on her face which told him she was lying.

The grunt, since it was behind the tree, didn't see it, so he believed her. Slowly coming out, he had his needler up and aimed at her, trembling in fear. "Wh-what do you want?"

"I just want to know what's up there," responded Ryoko, bending over so her eye level was even with the grunt's.

"Go to hell!" it yelled, firing off a needle at Ryoko.

The needle flew towards Ryoko's torso at a high speed, but Ryoko was faster. Grabbing the needle, she flicked it back at the grunt, sending it shooting into the grunt's head, the needle exploding after burying itself deep into the grunt's brain, killing it instantly. Te grunt's body dropped like a stone.

Ryoko stood up, a dissatisfied look on her face. "I told him I wouldn't hurt him," she said, lifting her hands up in an innocent shrug. Walking back to the warthog, she got back into the passenger seat, waiting for Chief to get in as well.

Chief started to get back in, when he saw something move in the trees up ahead. It was more Covenant troops, unaware of Chief and the others. Getting his rifle out, he walked in front of the warthog, looking at the enemy troops. Chief looked at Anderson. "We won't be able to get the warthog up that trial. We'll have to go on foot. Stay here with the warthog. We might need a quick getaway."

"Yes sir," responded Anderson.

"Come with me," Chief said, turning his gaze to Ryoko.

"Who, me?" said Ryoko, looking around her as if there were more than just the three of them. "Well if you say so," she said, getting out of the warthog, walking up beside Chief. "Where're we going honey?" Chief said nothing, simply walking up the path that lead deeper into the island. "Fine, don't answer me," Ryoko retorted. "Some gentleman you are."

* * *

_The suspense is killing me! What will happen next? Will Chief ever find out who Tenchi is? Will Anderson make another appearance? Will I stop asking questions? Read and review to find out! (I'm not going to make a limit this time, but I will publish the next chapter after a certain number of reviews are made)_


End file.
